Statement on 'Severnside Airport’ proposal

“As the leading airport serving South West England and South Wales, Bristol Airport already handles nearly six million passengers a year travelling to more than 100 direct destinations. With planning permission in place for facilities to handle 10 million passengers per annum, and new aircraft technology opening up access to long haul destinations, the Airport is well positioned to meet the connectivity requirements of both regions in the medium and long term.

“No doubt the Airports Commission will receive many proposals for different airport schemes right across the UK. It is important that these are deliverable solutions not somewhat far-fetched proposals reliant on the forced closure of a successful, privately owned airport which supports thousands of jobs.

“The idea of a new Severnside Airport was dismissed by the Future of Air Transport White Paper back in 2003 on the basis that it would ‘struggle to attract sufficient traffic to be financially viable and would not generate sufficient economic or regeneration benefits to merit support’. Given that the long term demand forecasts on which this decision was based have since been revised downwards, it is difficult to see how a different conclusion could be drawn today.”